Dec 21, 2011

#BDS Victory: Thank you #Joker for not playing with Israeli Apartheid

"Joker (Dubstep) was due to play in Tel Aviv for Hanukkah celebrations on 20th December 2011. He was contacted by fans on Facebook asking him to cancel his performance and not support Israeli Apartheid. Joker aksed his fans what he should do and after understanding their replies drew his own decision on the matter."

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#BDS: In blow to #Israel, French BDS activists acquitted of crime in calling for boycott

"Twelve French activists from a group called Boycott 68 have been acquitted on charges of “inciting discrimination and racial hatred” for calling on French shoppers to boycott Israeli goods.

The court judgment in the eastern city of Mulhouse deals a blow to efforts by French prosecutors and Zionist groups to outlaw the growing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. The acquittal received wide coverage in French media."

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#BDS: رسالة مفتوحة إلى آرمن فان بيورن

فنحن لبنانيين وفلسطينيين، ولبنانيّات وفلسطينيّات، ننتمي إلى مشاربَ واتجاهاتٍ عدةٍ يَجْمعها رفضُ الصهيونيّة العنصريّة، والانتصارُ لتحرير فلسطين وكلِّ المناطق العربيّة التي احتلّتها «إسرائيلُ» منذ تأسيسها، ولعودة الفلسطينيين إلى ديارهم كافّةً.
نحن في العادة نتوق كثيراً إلى الترحيب بالفنّانين العالميين في ربوع لبنان. وقد علمنا أنّك ستُحْيي حفلاً في بيروت في 30/12/2011. غير أنّك كنتَ، ويا للأسف، قد اخترتَ، في 30 حزيران من العام الجاري، أن تُحْيي حفلاً في إيلات، الواقعة في الكيان الصهيونيّ الذي يَفرض التمييزَ العنصريّ والاحتلالَ، ويستخفّ بالقوانين الدوليّة. نعم، لقد آثرتَ يا فان بيورن أن تُحْيي حفلك في «إسرائيل» حتى بعدما تلقّيتَ مناشداتٍ من ناشطين عالميين معادين للتمييز العنصريّ، بل من مواطنين إسرائيليين أيضاً (رسالتهم مؤرّخة في 21 حزيران)، يدعونك إلى إلغائه. وقد اخترتَ أن تُحْيي حفلك هناك على الرغم من معرفتك بأنّ «إسرائيل تَستخدم النشاطاتِ الثقافيّة العالميّة لإضفاء وَهْمِ الطبيعيّة [الوضع الطبيعيّ] على واقع حصار مليون وستمئة ألف فلسطينيّ في غزّة (44 % منهم أطفالٌ دون الرابعة عشرة)، وعلى واقع فرضِ أحكامٍ عرفيّةٍ في حقّ مليونين ونصف المليون من الفلسطينيّين في الضفّة الغربيّة بلا حقوقٍ مدنيّة، وعلى واقع خضوع ملايين آخرين لقوانين تمييزيّةٍ عنصريّةٍ داخل إسرائيل [فلسطين 1948] نفسها».

إقرأ/ي المزيد

#BDS: #Lacoste: NO ROOM FOR PALESTINIAN ARTISTS

"The prestigious €25,000 Lacoste Elysée Prize is awarded by the Swiss Musée de l’Elysée with sponsorship from Lacoste, the clothing brand. Larissa Sansour was among the eight artists shortlisted for the 2011 prize. In December 2011, Lacoste demanded that her nomination be revoked. Lacoste stated their refusal to support Sansour’s work, labelling it ‘too pro-Palestinian’. A special jury will convene in January 2012 to select the winner.

As a nominee, Sansour was awarded a bursary of €4,000 and given carte blanche to produce a portfolio of images for the final judging. In November 2011, three photos for Sansour’s Nation Estate project were accepted, and she was congratulated by the prize administrators on her work and professionalism. Sansour’s name was included on all the literature relating to the prize and on the website as an official nominee. Her name has since been removed, just as her project has been withdrawn from an upcoming issue of contemporary art magazine ArtReview introducing the nominated artists."

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An Israeli Preaching to Palestinians: Amira Hass on #BDS: “Don’t make it into a religion”

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"You mustn’t make the means of the struggle into a religion. Palestinians used to believe in the armed struggle as a kind of religion. Now they do not. The use of weapons in the second intifada excluded the majority and actually made the occupation worse.
The problem is that Israelis have come to accept the dual life of occupation. They can have parties and gallery openings in Tel Aviv while a few minutes’ drive away water cisterns are destroyed, houses are destroyed, you need a permit to plant a tree, and so on.
Does boycott help? Well, $10 billion of Israeli military expertise (which Israel exports annually) will not be affected by BDS. Campaigns against Ahava, Elbit & Veolia were successful. The campaign against Caterpillar failed.

Boycott also raises the question of hypocrisy. Should we boycott Canada because of what it did to the First Nations *? Do not think of activism as a cult. Think. Ask questions. And by the way, not all Palestinians support BDS. As someone who grew up in a Marxist environment, I say, ‘don’t make a religion of it.’"

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